Ticket machines on buses face axe

TRANSPORT: The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority board is expected to approve a proposal to terminate the use of automated cash payment ticket dispensers on the city’s public buses later this week.

BMTA acting deputy director (management) Panida Thongsuk said yesterday the bus agency will ask the board to cancel them on Thursday. This will not affect the use of the e-ticket reading system on buses.

Cash boxes are automated and accept coins or banknotes and issue tickets and give change on public buses. The e-ticket readers are supposed to work with the common ticketing system designed to link all modes of transport in Bangkok.

About 800 cash boxes are already on city buses. The programme was put on hold after the machines were found to be slow and impractical during rush hours.